Photos: Lijiang's Tiger Leaping Gorge

Located roughly 80 kilometers from Lijiang, Yunnan, Tiger Leaping Gorge is a modern marvel, the centerpiece of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas.

The 17-mile stretch along the Jinsha River passes through the cliffs of the surrounding Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Xueshan, bottoming out at a depth of 3,900 meters below the mountains peaks. At the gorge's lowest point sits Tiger Leaping Stone, a famous boulder that, according to legend, was perfectly positioned to aid a tiger cross the river from one mountain to the next. While the chances of any actual tigers making the jump are minimal, the crashing rapids created from the stone's unique position in the water are often thought to resemble angry dragons: an image that is quite easy to picture upon further inspection. On a sunny day, the naked eye can see for miles: layers of mountain ridges unfolding one after another. On a foggy afternoon however, visibility is limited, but astounding nonetheless. Here is one such hazy day . . .